Joint statement exercise is over: Osman Ertug

Joint statement exercise is over: Osman Ertug

Chief negotiator for President Eroglu on the Cyprus problem, Osman Ertug has said that the exercise to formulate a joint statement prior to re-opening negotiations, is over.

Speaking to Turkish Cypriot daily ‘Kibris’ last week, Ertug said that the Turkish Cypriots “believe[s] that the time has come for making moves that will change the game and be outside the mould”.

Giving no specific details on what that would mean, he continued with, “this is a move towards the solution and it will be discussed with the other side”.

He also said that the UN had recommended that both sides take time to think about the negotiating process.

The most startling statement by Eroglu’s negotiator was that Turkey had conveyed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon the message that:

“If there will be a new document, the single sovereignty could not be included in this document”.

Ertug stated that, “there could not be anything more natural than this”.

In reference to the proposal submitted by the Turkish Cypriots on the joint declaration, Ertug described it as a real opening and stated that the most “unreliable” amongst the two sides involved were the Greek Cypriots. He went on to say that even “Greece is a more reliable player”.

“These people have rejected even their own proposal. They submit a proposal as a bluff, and they withdraw it when we accept it”.